Caraway Rye Bread: A Deli Favorite

Kate Donahue | Food Babbles
September 11, 2013 8:00 am

This rye bread recipe is a classic, with the added twist of caraway seeds. Bring the deli home with this lovely bread recipe.

Growing up, I lived in North Carolina for the majority of my years and as much as I loved it there and still enjoy going back, it was lacking something. Well, actually, it was lacking a few things. There were no diners. They don't even know what Taylor ham is. Pork roll just does not exist. I guess that's just a Northeast thing? The other thing that is lacking are delicatessens.

Now living on the east coast, I have great delis close by nearly anywhere I go. When it comes to getting the perfect sandwich, so often that sandwich is on rye bread. To me, rye feels like an integral part in making the perfect sandwich. Sure, whole wheat is great for an average sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly pretty much needs to be on white bread to feel classic.

But what about corned beef? Pastrami? They NEED to be served on great rye bread. A sloppy joe?? Is a sloppy joe a regional thing as well? I don't think I'd ever had a towering triple decker of turkey or pastrami on rye with layers of coleslaw, Russian dressing and Swiss cheese before moving to New Jersey. But man, oh man, that's a serious sandwich, and it just wouldn't be the same if it weren't served on rye bread.

So what if you live in a place where you just can't get good rye bread? Sure, I suppose the grocery store brand in a plastic bag could cut it in a pinch. But it shouldn't when you can easily make a fresh loaf at home.

This caraway rye bread has a tender crust outside while inside is soft, light and dotted with tiny flavorful seeds. Not a fan of caraway seeds? Ditch them. You won't miss them. I personally think everything is better on rye bread and this loaf is the perfect for any sandwich your heart desires.

Directions

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, whisk together rye flour blend, all purpose flour, potato flour, dry milk, instant yeast, salt and caraway seeds, if using. Add oil and water and stir together using a wooden spoon or mix on low speed until evenly moistened.

Turn mixture onto a lightly oiled work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until a cohesive dough has formed (or knead in stand mixer using dough hook until a cohesive dough has formed.) The dough will not be smooth and silky, but a bit sticky, stiff and heavy. Try not to add extra flour while kneading as this will result in dry bread. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise at warm room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently deflate the dough and form into a loaf. Place in a 9" x 5" loaf pan then cover and allow it to rise at warm room temperature for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour or until it has increased in size by 1/3.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Once preheated, spritz the loaf with water or oil then bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the bread out of the pan onto a rack to cool completely.

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About Kate

Kate babbles about all things food on her own blog, Food Babbles, and about feeding her girls the best way. Here on Food Fanatic, she wows us with her commitment to homemade, fresh baking, week after week.